KEY POINTS
- Dustin Sean McCabe, owner and captain of a scuba charter vessel, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for seaman’s manslaughter, lying to federal authorities, and fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds.
- McCabe operated paid scuba charters on a vessel falsely registered for recreational use, which suffered multiple mechanical failures including a fatal propeller malfunction that resulted in the death of a passenger.
- McCabe fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans
Dustin Sean McCabe, the owner and captain of a scuba charter vessel, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for the death of a passenger, lying to federal authorities, and fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence after a federal jury found the 50-year-old guilty of seaman’s manslaughter in March 2025, culminating a case that exposed severe negligence and financial deceit.
The charges stemmed from a series of events in March 2020 after McCabe purchased a 48-foot vessel, the Southern Comfort, and began operating paid scuba charters despite having falsely registered it with the U.S. Coast Guard for recreational use.
A Pattern of Negligence
According to court documents and trial evidence, McCabe personally refitted the vessel for commercial use. On its first paid trip on March 28, 2020, the boat suffered significant mechanical failures, including a loss of steering and running aground.
In a particularly dangerous incident, the port-side propeller engaged unexpectedly while the boat was in neutral during a diver pickup. A diver was pulled toward the active propeller but managed to escape serious injury at the last moment.
The Fatal Voyage
Despite the life-threatening malfunctions, McCabe operated another paid charter the very next day without making repairs, reporting the incidents to the Coast Guard, or warning the new passengers of the risks. During that trip, the same propeller malfunction occurred as a female passenger and her spouse were boarding from the water.
The propeller pulled both individuals into its blades, killing the woman instantly. Following the fatality, authorities prohibited McCabe from operating the Southern Comfort.
Pandemic Relief Fraud
Months after his charter business was shut down, McCabe applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PPP was a federal relief program created to help small businesses retain employees during the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To secure the loans and their eventual forgiveness, McCabe falsely claimed his scuba charter business was still operational. He also submitted fraudulent payroll information and tax documents to the Small Business Administration, which administered the program.
Sentencing and Conviction
In March 2025, a federal jury found McCabe guilty on multiple counts, including two counts of seaman’s manslaughter—one as the vessel’s captain and one as its owner. He was also convicted of lying to the Coast Guard and committing wire fraud to obtain the PPP loans.
The more than eight-year prison sentence reflects the severity of McCabe’s combined offenses. The case underscores the critical responsibility of vessel operators to ensure passenger safety and the legal consequences of both endangering lives and exploiting federal relief programs.
